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Friday, May 11, 2012

A New Trailer: SKYLARK by Meagan Spooner

If you've seen my tweets on SKYLARK, you already know I read it in one day and couldn't stop thinking about it afterwards. I'll save the review for another day, but if you haven't added it to your Goodreads or TBR list, I highly recommend it. Very enjoyable, intricate, twisty plot. For now, I've got a couple other things for you. First, check out what Meagan Spooner had to say when we sat down to chat. And then be sure you watch the video trailer below the interview. It's pretty awesome. May have you tracking down the publisher begging for an ARC (What? You think I did that? *shifty eyes*)

Vis in magia, in vita vi. In magic there is power, and in power, life.

For fifteen years, Lark Ainsley waited for the day when her Resource would be harvested and she would finally be an adult. After the harvest she expected a small role in the regular, orderly operation of the City within the Wall. She expected to do her part to maintain the refuge for the last survivors of the Wars. She expected to be a tiny cog in the larger clockwork of the city.

Lark did not expect to become the City's power supply.

For fifteen years, Lark Ainsley believed in a lie. Now she must escape the only world she's ever known...or face a fate more unimaginable than death.

Everybody welcome Meagan! *Applause*

Hi Meagan! So happy to have you visit. I spruced up the place just for you. What do you think of my new sculpture?

Wow, I didn't know you could use chocolate mousse as a sculpting medium! How do you get Jared's hair to stay up like that?

Um...saliva actually. For real. Okay, then, in three words or less, please tell us ALL about yourself.

Psychic. Fire-eater. Astronaut. (What, they pay me to make stuff up for a living. You wanted truth?)

Truth is negotiable...In ten (true) words or more, please tell us what inspired you to write SKYLARK.

The world came to me before anything else did--a world where power was both literal and figurative, where magic was the line between sanity and madness, life and death. I wanted this enclosed city with dwindling resources, desperate for any way out, anything that could save them. After I'd imagined that world, the character became obvious. Of course the story would follow the one girl with the power to save them. And Lark came from that--I knew exactly who she was as soon as I realized why the city wanted her.

There are days where I could use a little magic to keep from slipping into insanity, so I totally get this! Is there anything in particular you’re hoping readers will take away from SKYLARK?

There's a lot of darkness in SKYLARK. I tend to be the sort of author who, when stuck, thinks, "What's the worst possible thing I can do to my characters right now?" But the thing is, despite Lark's struggles, and the terrible things that happen over the course of the book, I think there's beauty and hope there too. She discovers that while the outside world is dangerous and terrifying, it's also beautiful in a way she'd never have experienced if she'd stayed inside her domed city. And while she faces terrible betrayal, she also discovers true friendship and human connection, beyond anything she had in her previous life.

Lark doesn't start off as this bulletproof tough girl--she's scared, and she's running for her life, and she doesn't know anything about how to survive beyond the Wall. But she's determined--she learns how to cope. She gets stronger. She gets smarter. She has to become the hero, because she wasn't born that way.

SKYLARK, at its heart, is a book about stepping outside your boundaries--it's utterly terrifying, and sometimes you get hurt. But sometimes it's amazing, too. And sometimes it's what you should have done all along.

I loved that Lark didn't start out all kickass at first. How many girls really do? This feels so much more genuine and relatable to me.

Alright, it’s time for some invasive questions.London or Fiji?

London, hands down! I'm not a big beach person, and warm weather makes me irritable--I actually prefer rain and fog, like the total weirdo I am! Plus London has just amazing history. I never get tired of it.

Beans or filet mignon?

Filet mignon. Lark may be a vegetarian, but I'm a meat-eater through and through!

Croissant and cappuccino or biscuits and gravy?

Can I substitute the cappuccino for a cup of tea? Because dang, a croissant sounds amazing right now.

Chocolate or Jared Leto?

This is the easiest one yet: JARED. Because he'll bring me chocolate. Just look at him--you know he would.

Dude, it’s been so AWEsome to have you here, I want to capture this moment forever with a picture. Smile.*waits* Meagan??

Let me tell you guys a story. Because let's be honest, I can't even set out to take a picture without stories coming out of it.

It's the story of a girl named Meg, who is pretty camera shy--but everyone's always told her there's nothing to be scared of. It's just a picture. What's the worst that could happen? So she was determined to produce some kind of fabulous photo deserving of this fabulous blog. So she sits down at her webcam with her movie star sunglasses ready to model it up. But she quickly realizes that she looks pretty silly, so she takes the sunglasses off. Unbeknownst to her, when she puts the sunglasses down, they slide off the desk... and land upon a monster that lurks beneath it. The monster awakes...

As Meg continues to try and take a decent photo (something rarer even than the elusive perfect first draft) the monster climbs up behind her, always hungry, always lurking. She sees him in the computer screen, captured by her web cam--but it's too late! He's already at her throat! She cannot move for fear of provoking the beast.

And then... just when it seems the creature might lose interest and let her live... HE STRIKES.

The end.

(The role of the monster in tonight's performance will be played by Icarus the Cat.)

Thanks so much for stopping by, Meagan! What a pleasure to chat with you...and Icarus (who I suspect drank all my chocolate milk.). BYE!! *Waves*

Oh hey. It's the book trailer for SKYLARK! Meagan, you dropped something!

Great interview! And Meagan's book sounds amazing, especially when I read this: "a book about stepping outside your boundaries--it's utterly terrifying, and sometimes you get hurt. But sometimes it's amazing, too. And sometimes it's what you should have done all along."